This invention relates to an electrical connector having an inner metal shield, and in particular to a latch for securing the inner shield to the housing of a circular shielded DIN connector for mounting in a vertical position on a circuit board.
There is disclosed in each of U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,669 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,878 a shielded electrical connector having a dielectric housing comprising a circular cross section central block formed with axially extending terminal receiving cavities and being surrounded by a hood which defines, in cooperation with the block and a base in the housing, a circular chamber in which is secured an annular inner metal shield.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,699, the shield is latched in the circular chamber by means of grounding tabs which project from an edge of the shield and through slots in the base and which have struck-out from the planes thereof rectangular tongues free ends of which engage rear edges of the housing. Since such struck-out tongues are of relatively low resilience they do not latch the shield to the housing positively and should the free ends of the grounding tabs, which are exposed at the rear of the housing, be accidentally stubbed against an obstruction, for example a circuit board, the tongues struck-out from the tabs may thereby be plastically deformed so as to take on a permanent set, so that the shield becomes loose in the circular chamber. The shield of U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,878 is secured in its circular chamber by means of hook members which engage support members in the forward part of the hood, and by means of grounding tabs on the shield which are soldered to ground conductors on a circuit board. The shield is not, therefore, positively secured to the housing until the connector has been mounted to the circuit board.